The Personalisation Balancing Act: Relevance vs. Intrusion

Personalisation has long been heralded as the key to engaging customers in a way that feels intuitive, relevant, and valuable. Marketers in the latest DMA Future Trends report claim to use personalisation across multiple areas – channel-specific messaging, re-targeting, rewards, geo-targeting, and user experience. Yet, the reality of personalisation execution is often inconsistent, ineffective, or even intrusive.

The data speaks for itself: only 36% of marketers personalise email content (beyond just “Dear [First Name]”), despite email being one of the most direct and measurable channels for engagement. At the same time, 88% of marketers believe personalisation has become too intrusive, even more than the 60% of consumers who feel the same way. So, where’s the disconnect?

When I first started in direct marketing back in 1995, we talked about achieving the nirvana of personalisation – replicating the experience of a local shopkeeper who knew your name, your preferences, and what you needed, but at scale. Now, we have the data and the tools to do exactly that (or very close to it), yet personalisation is often perceived as creepy rather than convenient.

So, what’s the key to getting it right? It’s all about meaningful personalisation – creating offers and messaging that feel logical and valuable within the customer’s journey, rather than simply generic or algorithmically forced.

Beyond “Dear Andy”: What Meaningful Personalisation Looks Like

At Purple Square, personalisation has been at the heart of our strategy for years. However, we’ve seen time and again that organisations struggle to “feed the beast” – keeping content, offers, and messaging fresh and relevant. With AI rapidly becoming a core business tool, that challenge is easing, but the fundamental principles of effective personalisation remain the same.

1. It’s About Value, Not Just Data

Just because a brand can personalise something doesn’t mean it should. Customers will engage with personalisation when it makes their experience better, not when it simply reminds them how much data a brand has on them.

For example, a travel company using past booking history to suggest relevant destinations feels helpful. A random retargeted ad for a product someone searched for once but never intended to buy? That feels intrusive.

2. Context is Everything

An offer or message should feel like a natural part of the customer’s journey. If a customer buys running shoes, offering them a discount on running socks makes sense. Sending them an ad for the same shoes they just purchased? That’s frustrating.

3. Relevance Trumps Frequency

More personalised messages do not necessarily mean better engagement. In fact, over-personalisation can lead to disengagement. The goal is to make personalisation feel intuitive, not overwhelming.

4. The Niche Opportunity

The rise of niche online communities presents a huge opportunity for marketers. Rather than taking a blanket approach, brands that embed themselves within these communities can deliver personalisation that feels authentic rather than algorithmic.

For example, rather than targeting “runners” broadly, a brand could tailor content specifically for trail runners, urban runners, or even first-time marathoners, offering hyper-relevant content that resonates deeply.

5. AI as an Enabler, Not a Replacement

AI is making personalisation easier to execute at scale, but it should enhance the customer experience – not dictate it. Human oversight is still essential to ensure AI-driven personalisation aligns with brand values and doesn’t feel robotic or irrelevant.

The Path Forward: Personalisation That Feels Natural

So, how can marketers bridge the gap between customer expectations and the fear of overstepping? It starts with shifting the mindset from “How can we personalise?” to “How can we make the customer experience better?”

Successful personalisation should feel logical, relevant, and valuable – helping the customer, not just selling to them. Brands that focus on meaningful engagement rather than sheer volume will build stronger, longer-lasting relationships.

10 Tips to Get Your Personalisation Journey Underway

1. Start With Strategy, Not Technology: Personalisation isn’t just about the tools you have; it’s about having a clear strategy for how and why you’re using it.

2. Go Beyond First Names: True personalisation means tailoring content, offers, and experiences – not just adding a customer’s name to an email.

3. Segment with Purpose: Create meaningful audience segments based on behaviour, preferences, and context – not just demographics.

4. Test & Learn: Experiment with different levels of personalisation and track customer responses. What feels helpful? What feels intrusive?

5. Connect the Dots Across Channels: Customers expect consistency. Ensure your efforts are aligned across email, web, social, and offline interactions.

6. Use AI to Scale, Not to Replace Thoughtfulness: AI can help automate and optimise personalisation, but human insight is crucial to ensure it feels relevant and natural.

7. Respect Privacy & Consent: Be transparent about data usage. Give customers control over how their data is used and ensure they understand the value they’re getting in return.

8. Think About Timing: Personalisation isn’t just about what you send but when you send it. A well-timed message can make all the difference.

9. Make It Easy to Opt Out: If customers feel overwhelmed by personalisation, they should be able to adjust their preferences easily.

10. Measure, Iterate, Improve: The best personalisation strategies evolve. Continuously assess what’s working and refine your approach.

Final Thought

Personalisation isn’t going anywhere – but the way brands use it will determine whether it enhances the customer experience or drives disengagement. The challenge is no longer how to personalise, but how to do it well – in a way that is meaningful, relevant, and above all, valued by the customer.

The brands that get it right will move beyond personalisation as a marketing tactic and turn it into a true differentiator in the customer experience.